Just As Beautiful, the first glossy aimed solely at women sizes 14 through 20 launched this month, the Daily Mail is reporting.
Like any glossy lifestyle mag, Just As Beautiful will feature fashion spreads, interviews, articles on cooking, entertainment, etc., with the exception of one glossy mainstay: the diet feature. Just As Beautiful will not put out any dieting articles (only exercise tips), and EIC Sue Thomason, a former lifestyle coach who is also size 18, says that only models size 14 and up will be used in editorials.
Thomason created the mag, because, told the Daily Mail, “If you’re a woman over Size 14, you’re likely to be stuck for something to read that doesn’t make you feel like you’re too big or ‘wrong’ because you’re not a Size Zero.”
“What we want to do is supply a magazine for women who don’t want to be made to feel bad about the way they look,” adds publisher Ronnie Ajoku.
On the one hand, Just As Beautiful seems like a great idea. Despite all the talk about the fashion industry working towards embracing models who deviate from a sample size zero, there’s not much to show for it. For the most part, the major fashion glossies still only feature fuller figured women in their requisite, once-yearly, “size” issues. So kudos to Just As Beautiful for refusing to wait it out until magazines truly change.
On the other hand, previous plus size mags haven’t been successful. Mode magazine, billed as the “first and only high fashion monthly targeted to full-figured American women,” folded in 2001. Radiance: The Magazine for Large Women shuttered after 16 years of publication, in 2000. Is the latest round of buzz centered around fuller-figured high fashion models like Crystal Renn enough to ensure the success of a publication like Just As Beautiful?
Renn, who has become the unofficial spokesperson for issues around body-size in the fashion industry, has said she would like to see all shapes and sizes in the pages of glossy mags, on the runways, and in campaigns, so that when she lands a Chanel campaign, it might not necessarily make headlines. “What I think would end the confusion is if we call all the models just ‘models,’” she told the Today show after her recent retouching scandal.
So there’s also the danger that a plus-size mag might relegate fuller-figured women to a niche publication, rather than making strides to diversify the body types in existing mainstream glossies.
Tags: Crystal Renn, Just As Beautiful






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Don’t mind the idea, but that has to be the worst cover design I’ve seen. If they want to be taken seriously, they should work on their presentation and design first.
First, that is a terrible name.
Secondly, while I don’t think that larger women should be made to feel badly about themselves, I also think it is dangerous to act like there is nothing wrong with being a size 20. It is a serious health issue and I think it’s stupid to try and glamorize it. I think women should be encouraged to feel great at whatever size is healthy for them, and that is very rarely a size 0, but it is just as rarely a size 20.
Oh, please. Enough with the hand-wringing. Women want to look beautiful at every size. It’s not the fashion industry’s job to fat-shame women by refusing to make clothes for plus-size women.
Some people are fat and don’t want to/can’t lose weight. That doesn’t mean they should have to be relegated to mumus and sweatpants for the rest of their lives!
This magazine represents a very worrying trend.
In the past models stood out from the rest of society because they were painfully thin (in the 90s), very tall and athletic (in the 80s) or ‘exotic’ looking (in the 70s). We’re now moving towards a situation where a model can be any body shape and have any look – the only catch is they still have to be drop dead gorgeous. It is less hurtful to rate our society by their adherence to an ideal which we all know is neither normal, nor particularly healthy (nor attractive to many people) than it is to openly categorise and divide people by how pretty they are (and attach a financial value to it). Crystal Renn may be a size 14, but she is hardly ‘normal’ looking. I think most girls who aspire to be models would much rather be told: “I’m sorry, you’re not thin enough / not tall enough / you’re hair isn’t long enough.” Than: “I’m sorry, you’re not beautiful enough.”
Also, a quick word on mumus and sweatpants: There is no fashion store prejudice against curvier women, only economics. UK size 8 – 12 girls tend have similar bodies, give or take an inch or two on the bust. UK size 14 and up girls, however, vary in shape immensely – some are very busty, some aren’t; some have big arms, some don’t. Because of this there is a large and commercially appealing market for companies who make clothes that fit all size 10 girls, but only a small market for companies that make clothes which fit just some size 16 girls – except for mumus of course, which fit anyone.
I specifically said that I don’t think women should be made to feel bad about the way that they look, so I’m not sure why you are suggesting that I am promoting “fat-shaming”, as you put it. Of course everyone wants to look great, I just don’t think that we should gloss over a serious health issue with sparkly corsets and pseudo-empowering catch-phrases and magazine titles.
Considering the average size of women in the United States is size 14 yes it’s a good idea. But the title ‘Just’ as beauitful? Why not beautiful? The word just is a little demeaning. I guess the title ‘real woman’ was taken.
Agreed. The title is horrible.
the title blows. nothing like relegating “plus” (read, average) sized women to the “hey, we’re ALSO just as beautiful please look at us too but we know we’re not quite up to standard” pile to empower women with some meat on their bones. it’s almost insulting. no wait, it is.
Agreed. The title is horrible.
I like the idea! However, I agree with Chrissy. This new launch has to work EXTRA hard at presentation and marketing. Best of luck!!
Cool beans.
I think to be taken seriously the cover model should be wearing clothing. This is just shameful for any plus sized women. I mean do all 14+ women wear spanky lingerie? And if you do is that what you buy on the newstand?
I think targeting women in this catagory is a good idea, But how about in a way that is appealing to all women, Not just the ones who want to buy a mag with a half naked plus sized model on the front.
its pin-up. on trend. retro and cute, showing skin that is typically taboo for women larger than a size 4.
after looking longer, I have to say….it is indeed awful pin-up. cool in concept, no probs w/ the size of the model….just poorly shot and styled. sad.
I liked the idea but I agree as a size 15 the title was heart breaking! the cover is awful and except for the chubby chasers, God bless them, I don’t even want to see me in that outfit! It should be about fashionable plus size woman looking good and how to follow the trend without feeling awkward in your cloths cause they aren’t made for us! Being sexy without looking like trash, and I am not being rude cause I want to be looked at as sexy as well but Sexy and Trashy when you have as much skin and curves as us is a hard line to walk in my opinion!! Good luck with your Mag though and i hope you’s sincerely take your readers opinions into consideration! *Baby9url*
The title is horrible. I’m all for women empowerment but make sure your magazine holds up to the rest of them. It looks cheap and not classy at all.IMO
who design this and came up with such an atrocious name. it seems like a cover page for a middle school’s yearbook
i feel fat shamed all the time. i wear a 14. i go to barneys and can get maybe an alexander wang t and some mbmj. i have the money. i have the interest. what i dont have is a small frame. i will never not be broad shouldered, roundly hipped, and pretty big boobed. Etsy lets me get some fun stuff custom, but maybe I want to buy marchesa dress. No way no how. I don’t get it.
Great idea, but they could really use another graphic designer – the cover design is just horrible! They should hire me! http://www.lushcreativegraphics.com (shameless plug)
Shauna, please tell me there wasn’t someone who hired you to design a logo for a Miami nightclub called SNAFU.
Read about Jamie Bruce the new SwimsuitsforAll.com Vegas model search winner. http://www.prlog.org/10966897
like this idea, but I agree with Chrissy….new plus size clothing http://www.leeyoungwholesale.com/
MS. READ, 12 to 22 Plus Size Fashion for the Natural Woman http://www.msread.com.my